Experimental investigation of polypyrrole coating doped with chromium nitride nanoparticles on aluminum alloy bipolar plates for PEMFC

IF 3.5 3区材料科学 Q2 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Materials Science Pub Date : 2024-11-25 DOI:10.1007/s10853-024-10467-0

S. J. Narasimharaju, K. Annamalai, B. Poorna Chandra Rao, P. Sakthivel

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are efficient, environmentally friendly devices for applications such as transportation and stationary power generation. The bipolar plate (BP) is a key component in PEMFCs, responsible for electrical conductivity, gas distribution, and water management. 6061 aluminum alloy (AA) is commonly used for BPs due to its lightweight and conductive properties, but it is prone to corrosion. This study examines the efficacy of polypyrrole (PPy) coatings that are enhanced with chromium nitride (CrN) nanoparticles (NPs) on 6061 AA specimens. These coatings greatly enhance the corrosion resistance, polarization resistance, and protection efficiency of the 6061 AA. Out of all the coatings that were tested, the PPy-CrN_0.2 coating stood out as the top performer. It showed a positive corrosion potential (E_corr) of − 0.51 V versus SCE and a significantly lower corrosion current (I_corr) of 0.44 µA/cm². This coating demonstrates the highest polarization resistance value of 47,904.53 Ω/cm² and achieves an impressive protection efficiency of 72.84%, surpassing other coated specimens. In addition, the PPy-CrN_0.2 coating demonstrates exceptional protective properties, boasting an impressive impedance value (Z) of 5019 Ω/cm². This underscores its remarkable effectiveness in preventing the infiltration of corrosive ions, as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Future characterization studies, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) will further elucidate the structural and functional properties of the PPy-CrN_0.2 coating. Additionally, interfacial contact resistance (ICR) measurements were conducted to assess the electrical performance of the coating. The PPy-CrN_0.2 coating demonstrated the lowest ICR value of 18.4 mΩ/cm² at a compaction pressure of 1.4 MPa, confirming its improved conductivity and suitability for PEMFC applications. These findings highlight the importance of ICR testing in evaluating the overall performance and efficiency of the PPy-CrN_0.2 coating in PEMFC systems.

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来源期刊

Journal of Materials Science 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

7.90

自引率

4.40%

发文量

1297

审稿时长

2.4 months

期刊介绍： The Journal of Materials Science publishes reviews, full-length papers, and short Communications recording original research results on, or techniques for studying the relationship between structure, properties, and uses of materials. The subjects are seen from international and interdisciplinary perspectives covering areas including metals, ceramics, glasses, polymers, electrical materials, composite materials, fibers, nanostructured materials, nanocomposites, and biological and biomedical materials. The Journal of Materials Science is now firmly established as the leading source of primary communication for scientists investigating the structure and properties of all engineering materials.